NOTTINGHAM, June 15(ABC): Jonny Bairstow blasted England to a five-wicket win over New Zealand on the final day of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Tuesday as the home side won a series for the first time since January 2021. England chased down 299 thanks to an astonishing display of raw power from Bairstow, who hit 136 off just …

PALLEKELE, June 15(ABC): Glenn Maxwell s unbeaten 80 helped Australia chase down a rain-revised target of 282 runs and beat hosts Sri Lanka by two wickets on Tuesday. The visitors started out chasing a total of 301 in 50 overs but a 90-minute rain break reduced the innings to 44 overs with the visitors requiring 282 under DLS at Pallekele. …

NEW YORK, June 15(ABC): The countdown to World Cup 2026 kicks off in earnest on Thursday, as soccer fans across Canada, Mexico and the United States learn whether their cities made the coveted cut to host the 48-team tournament. Four years after FIFA selected the tri-country North American bid, world football’s governing body will announce the host cities after a …

DUBAI, June 14(ABC): Pakistan’s Tuba Hassan only made her international debut in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in May and won the prestigious Player of the Month award in her first nomination. In doing so, she became the first Pakistan player to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award. In her maiden international game, Tuba recorded brilliant …

COLOMBO, June 14(ABC): Australia suffered another injury setback on Monday as fast bowler Kane Richardson returned home with a hamstring problem ahead of the first one-day international against hosts Sri Lanka. Test skipper Pat Cummins will however return to the side for the five-match ODI series beginning on Tuesday after recovering from a long-running injury. Richardson picked up his injury …

NOTTINGHAM, June 14(ABC): James Anderson claimed his 650th Test wicket as England reduced New Zealand to 27-1 in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the second Test. Anderson was gifted his landmark wicket as New Zealand opener Tom Latham left a straight ball that clattered into his stumps. The 39-year-old fast bowler is just third man …

WEB DESK, June 14(ABC): High-flying skipper Babar Azam hopes that his extraordinary run-scoring can fire Pakistan to World Cup glory — and in the process fulfil a childhood dream. The 27-year-old is in the form of his life across the three formats of international cricket and last week became the first batsman to hit three consecutive centuries on two separate …

WEB DESK, June 14(ABC): Whitewashing West Indies in the recently concluded home series in Multan helped Pakistan take the fourth position from India in the latest International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI team rankings. The recent triumph earned Pakistan 106 points. However, India is just one point behind at fifth position with 105 points. Meanwhile, New Zealand rank first with 125 …

HARARE, June 13(ABC): Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi steered Afghanistan to a 21-run win over Zimbabwe on Sunday to claim a winning 2-0 lead in their Twenty20 international series in Harare. The tourists won the toss and made 170-5 off 20 overs on a batting-friendly track while Zimbabwe scored 149-7 in reply. A third and final T20 match is set …

CUTTACK, June 13(ABC): Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen smashed 81 off 46 balls to lead South Africa s tricky chase as they beat India by four wickets in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday. Needing 149 for victory on a hot and humid day in Cuttack, South Africa rode Klaasen s fourth T20 half-century to achieve their target in 18.2 overs and lead …